An exciting, true expedition style journey
down one of the world's greatest rivers, The Tsang Po river,
after flowing gently eastwards through Tibet, cuts the Greater
Himalaya and the highest unclimbed mountain in the world,
Namche Barwa before it enters Arunachal Pradesh, where the
expedition begins, a few miles inside the line-of-control
with China. Its now called the Siang, or the Upper Brahmaputra.
The expedition begins with a ferry boat ride at Dibrugarh up the river to the
plains of Pasighat, where the river enters India. It travels through remote hillsides
dotted with tribal settlements in clearings surrounded by dense rainforest with
many species of ferns, palms and orchids. It negotiates the finest big volume
white water in an area, which is surely one of the most inaccessible in the world.
A 9 day, 180 km long self contained run from Tuting to Pasighat through one of
the most inaccessible regions in the world makes this one of the most premier
expeditions offered. It’s a complete expedition with a fabulous ferry ride
up the river, a two day drive through rainforest and remote tribal villages,
and an expedition down one of the worlds greatest rivers.
Be an expedition member on one of the top rafting expeditions in the
world !
The most exciting way to run the Upper Brahmaputra's (or Siang as its known in
Arunachal Pradesh) legendary big drops, rapids, riffles, and strong eddies is
on a 08-day river trip in 16 or 18 foot long hypalon paddle or oar-paddle combination
rafts. Before launching from the put-in at Tuting, your guides will instruct
you in the fundamentals of safety, paddling, white-water, and self-rescue. After
your day-one plunge through a ten-mile stretch with some of the biggest rapids
rafted commercially (they are massive but really, doable), rapids known as "Ningguing" (twice
the size of "Lava Falls on the Colorado) and 'Pulsating Palsi", you'll
be ready to navigate down the Ningguing and Marmong gorges. You will raft down
big drops in the gorge including the 'Roaring Rikor" and "Zebra Rock" till
the portage on "Toothfairy" rapid at Cherring. You will scout "Moing
Madness" and see huge 20 foot plus breakers within arms length. You will
spend days floating down the vastness of this river, past tribal settlements,
run down "Karko Rapid" and brace yourself for the final drop at the "Pongging
Punch".
This river changed forever after a flood of June 2000 sent the river up 150 feet,
destroying everything in its path. Aquaterra Adventures ran the first open fixed
departure on this river in Nov-Dec 2002, running a crew of over 50 down a path
breaking trip which documented the river for all who care to join future expeditions.
Since then, we are the only outfitter offering fixed departure trips on this
river and very clearly, have the superior skills, equipment, guides and staff,
who make this "real life expedition" an outstanding success.
|
| Trip
Plan |
| |
| Day
01 |
| Arrive Delhi
and transfer to domestic airport. Arrive Dibrugarh late
afternoon by air. Visit an ethnic weaving centre & a
heritage tea garden. Overnight Dibrugarh hotel. |
| |
| Day 02 |
| Transfer to Pasighat
by boat (80 km; 08 hrs). See the Ganges River Dolphin & a
great variety of resdient & migratory birdlife from
Siberia & Central Europe enroute. Overnight Pasighat. |
| |
| Day 03-04 |
| Drive 02 long
days along a Siang river, through Adi villages, settlements
and lush tropical rainforest. Reach Tuting by teatime.
Check into tents, relax.x. |
| |
| Day 05 |
Relaxed day
to sort out gear - walk around and interface with local
tribals at Jedu village, time permitting. Ready rafts
in the afternoon - a comprehensive safety briefing
followed by instruction on paddling commands and rescue
procedures. Overnight at Tuting. |
| |
| Day 06 |
| Raft Tuting -
Pango (5 hrs). Camp. This morning, we encounter the big
Class IV Ninguing rapid and continue past another Class
3 rapid at Palsi to reach Pango, where we set up Camp
for the night, above yet another big rapid to be encountered
the following morning. Campfire dinner and overnight
Camp. |
| |
| Day
07 |
| Raft Pango – Cherring.
Camp. Today, we scout and raft down the Pango rapid and
enter the Ningguing and Marmong gorges, one of the most
beautiful and remote jungle gorges in the world. It has
steep impenetrable forests rising into obvillion on each
side past the big rapid at Rikor and Zebra Rock rapid
to set up Camp above a Class 6 rapid at Cherring. Overnight
Camp. |
| |
| Day
08 |
| Raft Cherring – Ramsing.
Camp. We raft past Ramsing and several rapids including
a Class 3 + followed by a 3 kilometer float till Ramsing
village where we make Camp for the night. |
| |
| Day
09 |
| Rest day at Ramsing.
Camp. |
| |
| Day
10 |
| Raft Ramsing-
Nubo Camp. A short day on the river - we begin with a
big rapid below Alubadi beach, followed by milder ones
all the way till the suspension bridge at Nubo. Camp
for the night. |
| |
| Day
11 |
| Raft Nubo - Boleng.
Camp. We begin this day with a float followed by a big
rapid called "Karko Killer" at Karko. After
Geku, we begin a long float till a Class 3+ above the
65 Bridge at Ditte Dime. An easy day with long float
sections. We pass several Adi tribal settlements on the
way. We continue to Camp for the night. |
| |
| Day
12 |
| Raft Boleng -
Rotung. Camp. Today, we raft past the first major confluence
of the Siang river with the Siyom river after the suspension
bridge at Boling. We pass the flood rutted guest house
of Yembung by late afternoon and float onto camp near
Rotung village. |
| |
| Day
13 |
| Raft Rotung-
Pasighat. We begin the final run to the plains at Pasighat
by negotiating the last biggie on the trip at Ponging.
The Siang seems to gather a lot more volume as we float
into Pasighat where we beach our rafts for the last time
on this trip. Transfer to rest house at Pasighat and
visit the Handicrafts Centre. Rest House / Hotel. |
| |
| Day
14 |
| Boat ride to
Dibrugarh (80 kms ; 05 hrs). Stay at Dibrugarh hotel. |
| |
| Day
15 |
| Fly / depart
Dibrugarh – Delhi. Transfer to international airport
for flight home. |
|
